Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Runfessions

I don't like beer. Never have, never will. I don't get excited about the beer being served at post-race parties or being handed out by spectators. At races I always bypass the beer tent altogether. I am probably the only runner who will ever attend a beer run purely to socialize, not to drink. (I can already hear the collective gasps of horror spreading rampantly across the Milky Way Galaxy.)

I am prepared to get kicked out of the running union (and perhaps even the human being union) for this. I am also prepared to be served my papers:


While we're at it...

I don't like coffee, either. I don't understand how so many people can drink such bitter stuff. I will never understand the Starbucks craze. Nor will I ever understand the need to have coffee first thing in the morning in order to function properly.

More horror of horrors, I know. Bring on my severe flogging and more papers:


My apologies to all of you that I have offended with my anti-alcohol and anti-caffeine words. But on a reconciliatory note - if anyone ever wants to ensure that my allotted drink coupon doesn't go to waste at races, I am always happy to give it away to the first person that asks for it!

Moving right along...

I don't like seeing my reflection when I am running. It doesn't matter if it's via store windows, in a mirror, whatever. I get self-conscious of my form, especially when I am tired.

For the same reason, I don't particularly enjoy looking at my race photos. It's pretty rare for me to find a race photo of myself that I like. Probably four times out of five I cringe when I see the evidence of things like my strangely supinating feet and my t-rex arms.


On that note, I am a running hypocrite. If anyone else said about themselves what I just said about my own running form or other things, I wouldn't hesitate to tell them that they were being absolutely ridiculous and that nobody notices these things or cares. But somehow, it's very difficult for me to believe this myself.

You all already know that I have a problem with collecting running shoes. I've got eight pairs of running shoes in my closet right now. Two pairs are effectively retired, meaning that I don't run in them any more but will still wear them to bike, attend fitness classes, etc. One other pair has been downgraded to "junk" status, meaning that I will only wear them to run in crappy weather. Recently I have been trying to pile the miles onto a single pair of shoes so that I can move them out of rotation. However, that doesn't change the fact that I still have five active pairs of running shoes. Yet, every time I hear about an online running shoe sale or pass by a store that sells running shoes, I am always still tempted to add to the collection.

Sadly, this isn't too far from the truth.

I often wonder why I am a runner. Running is extremely challenging in so many different ways. It drives me to sacrifice social time and/or sleep. I've run in blizzards, searing heat, pouring rain, through numerous injury pains, and at all hours of the day or night. It's a much more expensive activity than most people realize. I'm not even that good at it! Yet I keep plugging away. (By the way - I completed Day 4 of my Runner's World Running Streak today.)

I fall into the comparison trap far too often. It's hard for me not to compare myself to others and wonder why I am not more talented, stronger, faster, etc. For this reason, I get upset at myself a lot. This goes beyond running into many other aspects of my life. I am trying to focus just on controlling what I can control and letting everything else go. But, it is by no means easy.

Thanks to Marcia for inspiring me on the topic of runfessions. If any of you have any runfessions to share, I would love to hear them!

20 comments:

  1. These are perfect! Believe it or not we share a lot of the same ones!
    One I'd add though is…I actually like the treadmill. Talk about getting kicked out - I'll be exiled!! Have a great night!

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    1. Yay, we are runfession twinsies!!! One thing I didn't add was that I've become a cold-weather wimp, so I've been using the treadmill a lot over the past few days myself. So I'm right there with you on treadmill exile. =) I hope you have a great night, too!!!

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  2. So if you don't drink beer or coffee, what do you drink that's not water? What's your liquid weakness? :)

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    1. Believe it or not, my liquid weakness is orange juice!!! I try not to drink too much of it because it's relatively high in sugar and calories - so when I do drink it, I diilute it with water. But, if sugar and calories were no object, I really could drink orange juice like water!!! =D

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  3. That's okay that you don't like beer or coffee, even though those are two things I enjoy. However, if you ever go to Munich (or the Czech Republic), you must have a beer there. It is much tastier than anything I've had stateside. Anyway, do you like vodka or Everclear instead of beer? Ha! The most important thing is that you are a runner! That trumps everything else in my book. :)

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    1. Thanks, Pete - I really appreciate your inclusiveness to all runners! Thanks also for the tip on Munich beer or Czech beer. I've actually heard a lot about Belgian beer being very tasty, also. Sadly, I don't like vodka or Everclear; I really don't like ANY alcoholic or caffeinated beverages, which means no wine or coffee, either. Riesling is probably the only wine that I do somewhat enjoy - and this is because it tastes like fruit juice. =D

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  4. I think I'm going to keep runnfessions in the regular rotation! While I've taken up coffee drinking only in the past few years, I still have never had more than a sip of beer...the rest was poured in a plant.

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    1. I love runfessions! I vote in favor of making them a regular. =) That's a great way to put unused beer to good use! Some would say that that was a very lucky plant, LOL!!!

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  5. Don't feel bad - I like beer, and half the time I don't drink my beer at the finish line, either. It's really hard for me to be excited about beer if I'm on the edge of puking my guts out from pushing hard on a run. Offer me deep dish pizza on the other hand... LOL!

    You're lucky coffee has no appeal. Not only is it great to skip the caffeine, you save yourself a ton by skipping the fancy coffees.

    As far as shoes go - girl, have you seen the workout costumes I wear??!?! Of course I have a pair of shoes for each outfit. I sometimes worry my husband might divorce me if I come home with another pair of boldly colored tennis shoes. Most of them are for teaching, though - I only have 2 pairs that I rotate for in running, since those are more expensive and I try to keep them pristine for my miles only.

    As far as seeing myself while running - I'm totally opposite from you. I look for my reflection to see how my form looks and to critique myself... or look for race photos so I can laugh at myself. Man, those "I want to die" photos are usually the funniest ... those are faces I never see any other time since I never willingly make them. ;-)

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    1. You are so right about post-race stomachs versus normal stomachs. I love love LOVE deep dish pizza but I have trouble eating it right after a tough run, too. My husband thought I was nuts when I declined the Lou Malnati's pizza after the 13.1 Chicago Half two years in a row. You are lucky that you are able to enjoy it after a half marathon!!!

      So you are a Starbucks fan, yes? What do you usually order at Starbucks? When I go there I usually order food =D

      YAY for understanding the importance of lots of running shoes! Teaching is a great reason to invest in many different colors so I am all in favor of that. (Maybe I should try to come up with another reason to justify my shoes... days of the week? OK, maybe not). I'm very picky about only using my running shoes for running until they are retired, as well. As in, I will sometimes wear another pair of shoes to walk from the parking lot to the starting line of a race, and then put on my running shoes just at the start. Crazy, eh?

      Good for you for being able to enjoy your race photos! There are always two sides to every perspective and it sounds like you've got the right one. =)

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    2. I'm actually a Dunn Brothers fan if I can find one... they're a smaller chain, not sure if you have them out your way? If not Dunn, then Caribou is a second choice. I try to avoid Starbucks - they're a little too "big for their britches", at least for me. And also, their style of roasting isn't my taste. But I will drink it if there's no other choice.

      I usually go for a non-dairy latte with a flavor shot of something. Depends on my mood as to the flavor (or, the holiday, since some of the seasonal flavors are pretty good).

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    3. I've actually never heard of Dunn Brothers! I'll have to keep an eye out for them - I don't think they have any locations in the Chicagoland area, though. We do have Caribou, though, although I've never been there. I happened to have received a couple of Starbucks gift cards over the years, which is the only reason I ever end up at Starbucks. A latte, eh? I know so little about coffee that I am not even sure what that is! I have a lot to learn about the coffee world. =)

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  6. Well, I can drink a beer after a run at home anytime, so I go to beer runs to socialize too :) Beer and coffee are both acquired tastes that a lot of people never get into. I like beer, but only some beers, and although I do have several cups of coffee most mornings, I can't drink it black. And I hate Starbucks - I can't justify spending $5-$6 on coffee, and it's like battery acid. I like the stuff you can get for $1 at gas stations, and we brew Stewart's at home, which is made right here in Chicago and is a bit milder (perhaps you've seen their big red, plaid coffee truck at races??).

    and I don't think your thoughts about yourself running and in pictures versus other people makes you a hypocrite - a LOT of people feel that way! I definitely catch myself telling others things like that, but can't always stick to them myself.

    And I often wonder why I'm a runner too - comparatively speaking, I'm not very good at it! And sometimes I don't love it. But it's helped me push myself, so I guess there's that.

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    1. Thanks for understanding that beer and coffee are acquired tastes! Most of the time when I tell people that I don't drink either, they look at me as if I have three heads! I have heard very consistent remarks about Starbuck's coffee being too strong, and I also can't believe that anyone would spend $5-$6 on coffee on a regular basis. I mean, I could purchase an entire meal at some restaurants for that amount and feel much more satisfied! =D

      Thanks also for understanding how it is easy to give other people good advice, but hard to take your own advice. Sigh, I sound like my mom sometimes...

      There are many, many days that I don't love running. But I do love how I feel after a good run, and I do love seeing training progress over time (even if there are many times when it feels like I am never going to improve)! You too?

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  7. You are not alone - I don't drink beer or coffee either. ;) Coffee really hurts my stomach and beer tastes gross. I would rather eat my calories.

    I feel sad that you get caught in the comparison trap and feel bad about how you look! Your body is doing so many amazing things, like you said - running through blizzards, heat and rain! Through injuries and bouncing back... I guess my issue will always be that I value that sort of thing over how I look. LOL.

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    1. Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who doesn't drink beer or coffee! Likewise, another friend and I used to joke that if we were going to get fat by overconsumption of calories, that we wanted it to be from things like brownies or ice cream as opposed to beer. Amen to that!

      Thanks for the kind words on the body issues. When you put it that way about how my body is doing some amazing things, you are absolutely right. However, I get frustrated with my body's limitations and the constant battle with fending off injury. My mind wants to do more than my body will allow, you know? But to your point, it's certainly about perspective and appreciating that while I may get frustrated that I can't run faster or farther, that there are others who can't even walk a step. I think it's a delicate balance between being happy with what we have while always challenging ourselves to keep improving, you know?

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  8. I hated beer until pharmacy school lol. Then I slowly started drinking it and now I drink it quite a bit. As for coffee, I only drink it every once in a while...definitely not every day. I have slowly started to like it more. The thing I drink too much of is Diet Coke (and Diet Mt.Dew). Its a problem. I keep saying I will cut back and then don't.

    I am definitely a running hypocrite..I usually end up telling people "do as I say, not as I do" I really need to start following my own advice.

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    1. LOL. Was it the stress of pharmacy school that drove you to start drinking beer? I would have actually expected that you would drink more coffee than beer, considering the crazy hours you work and the late nights you've pulled! But I guess Diet Coke and Diet Mt. Dew accomplish the same things as coffee for those instances. Did you start drinking more of those during pharm school, too, or have you drank those all your life? From what I hear, Diet Coke is a very tough beverage to cut down on. I know folks who go through it by the caseload on a daily basis, and can't cut back even if their lives depended on it!

      I'm all about the "do as I say, not as I do" philosophy. I wish I could start following my own advice, too. =/

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  9. Count me in on t-rex arms. I've tried, oh I've tried, but t-rex-y they shall stay.

    My runfession is that I'm not a fan of warm-ups and cool-downs. I just want to run already. A 1 mile wu or cd is just too darn long. I often end up walking them, especially the cd.

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    1. You know, it was from you that I first picked up the term "t-rex" arms because I think it is such an apt term! =D Good for you for all the strength-training you've put forth - those fitness challenges are not easy!

      I totally hear you on the warm-up and cool-downs. I actually have gotten to the point where I'm okay with warm-ups because I've found they help a lot for things like 5K races. But I don't have much patience for cooldowns myself. I can do about 2 minutes worth of cooldown but beyond that I am just ready to get home and jump into the shower ASAP!!!

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